This disclosure relates to a printer. In particular, this disclosure relates to a movable platen for a thermal transfer printer.
In most thermal transfer printers, a length of media and an ink ribbon is fed in between a thermal print head and a platen. As the media and the ink ribbon pass between the thermal print head and the platen during printing, the thermal print head selectively heats the ink ribbon along the print line so that portions of the ink on the ink ribbon transfer to the media. By selectively heating the ink ribbon as the media and the ink ribbon pass across the thermal print head, a pattern of ink including text, images, and so forth is printed onto the media.
One function of the platen is to maintain pressure on the ink ribbon and media as they pass by the thermal print head. The application of this pressure is important because, in a thermal transfer printer, if the thermal print head does not properly contact the ink ribbon and the media, then either the ink may not be sufficiently heated for transfer or, even if the ink is sufficiently heated, the ink may not be transferred to the media due to lack of pressure between the ink ribbon and the media. Ultimately, if appropriate pressure is not applied across the thermal print head, then the print quality of the printer may be compromised.
Hence, a need exists for printers having improved print quality and, specifically, for printers in which even pressure is applied by the platen over the length of the print head.